The San Diego Padres enter Wednesday a game under .500 and 2.0 games back of the Wild Card. So naturally, in their middling state, some rumors are floating around about pieces they might trade, such as All-Star closer Mason Miller.
Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report wrote that it would take an enormous offer for the Padres to move Miller. That might be an understatement. The Padres parted with Leo De Vries, the No. 2 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, just a year ago. A trade for Miller would almost have to be a package of multiple top prospects, and potentially MLB-ready pitching, to recoup some of that value. A package only a small few contending teams can create.
GettyCLEARWATER, FL – MARCH 1: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees prepares to field against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning of the spring training baseball game at BayCare Ballpark on March 1, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
New York Yankees Enthralled By Mason Miller
Miller is the best closer in baseball, and with the Padres’ 16-25 record since May 24, there is going to be interest. Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote that the Yankees love the idea of combining Miller and David Bednar at the back of the bullpen.
The one barrier to the Yankees making this deal is their already thin farm system. In March, MLB.com ranked the Yankees farm at No. 26, bottom five in all of baseball. The Yankees have four players in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. Notably, infielders George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby, and right-handed pitchers Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange. Outside of that, Ben Hess and Spencer Jones round out the best talent in their system before a major drop-off.
Padres ‘Need Major League Starting Pitching’
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 14: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch during the ninth inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
“Mason Miller is definitely available,” Jeff Passan of ESPN said on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. The two-time All-Star and current saves leader in the National League is going to come at a high price. Passan would go on to say, “the Padres need major league-ready starting pitching.”
Can anybody match the Padres’ needs? The Seattle Mariners seem like the most likely candidate, given the depth of their staff. In a tight race for the American League West, the Mariners find themselves in a befuddling position. They sit just a half game back of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, but right at .500. With their best shot being to win the division and not the Wild Card, they could opt to make a blockbuster that brings their middle-of-the-pack bullpen to the top of the leaderboards during the stretch.
The Padres have a weak farm system as well, but a roster built to contend. The only issue is their starting pitching. Ranked No. 27 in baseball in starter ERA, the Padres’ pitching has not done enough to get to their bullpen, which ranks inside the top 10 in ERA. Only one of the Padres starters is under the age of 30, Randy Vasquez. The rest are over that hump, and many of them have outs this offseason, whether it’s a mutual option or a player option.
With five core position players on long-term contracts, the Padres will have to shift their pitching to younger, cheaper options to continue contending. Miller is under club control through 2029, which significantly raises his asking price.
With under two weeks until the trade deadline, time is running out for a team to come forward with a package that will make the Padres move Miller.
Nobody Can Afford San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller